Mounting for electric fixtures



July 23, 194o.

A. K. 1 SUTHERLAND 2,209,008

MOUNTING FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES Filed Oct. 1. 1958 INVENTOR A. K.SUTHERLAND 16 BY gmmkuu ATTORNEY Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE MOUNTING FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES Alexander K. Sutherland,Milwaukee, Wis., as-

signorto Moe-Bridges Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation ofWisconsin Application October 1,

2 Claims.

This inventionrelates to mountings for electric fixtures such as lightfixtures, and it has among its objects a light fixture mounting equippedwith a simple and cheap clamping support for a globe or similar hollowenclosure forming a part of the assembled fixture so as to permit quickand easy removal of the enclosure from its permanent positionforcleaning or exchanging, and quick and simple clamping of the enclosurein its location.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be best understoodfrom the following description of exemplifications thereof illustratedin the accompanying drawing; wherein Fig. l is a vertical sectional viewof a lighting fixture mounting exemplifying the invention; I

Fig. 2 is a view along line 2--2 of Fig. l with parts of the globe andthe cam extension broken away;

Fig. 3 is a View along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

, Fig.4 is a top view of the central portion of the fixture; and

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating another exemplificationof the invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, an electric fixture, such as a lamp, issupplied through an electric cord looped through a supporting chain I2,attached to the ceiling for instance, for carrying a socket support inthe form of a U-shaped bail I3 to which is clamped a lamp socket Hiholding the lamp bulb |5 which is energized by the cord The lamp isenclosed by an enclosure, such as a translucent globe I6, which iscarried by a clamping member in the form of a sheet metal shell slidablymounted on the socket supporting bail wires I3 and provided with aflanged rim portion 8 against which the border l9 of the globe is heldclamped by a plurality of pivotally 40 mounted clamping arms 2|. Eachclamping arm 2| is formed of a wire bent to assume the U- shapedformation shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the ends of the wire being outwardlybent to form pivot projections 22 which are pivoted on the side portionsof re-entrant U-shaped loops 24 formed in a split annular spring wire 25shaped and compressed to the form shown in Fig. 3 so as to remainclamped under its spring action within the retainer groove 26 formedadjacent the 50 periphery of the top wall of the shell. 7

The freely swinging clamping arms 2| rest against a cam edge surface 21of a cam member 28 in the form of a sheet metal cup extending from thesocket support l3 of the lamp fixture, being, for instance, secured tothe socket support 1938, Serial No. 232,837 (01. 240--133) by screws 29.In the position shown in Fig. 1, the cam surface 21 forces the clampingarms 2| against the shell rim l8 for clamping the border of the globe.On lifting the slidable shell on its bailsupport l3, the cam surface 2'!of the canr extension 28 releases the clamp-arms 2| from their clampingengagement shown in full lines in,

drop on its sliding bail support and the cam surface of the socketsupport extension 28 will swing the clamping arms from the dotted lineposition 2| to their full line clamping position shown in Fig. 1.

After the lamp has been replaced or the in terior of the fixture orglobe cleaned, the globe may be quickly replaced by simply lifting theclamping shell I! on its bail support I3, and this upward movement ofthe clamping shell causes the clamping arms 2| carried by the shell llto be lifted to the dotted line position 2|. Thereupon, the globe may beeasily positioned against the clamping rim l8 of the clamping shell H,and the clamping shell is lowered while simultaneously the socket camextension 21 forces the clamping arms 2| to their clamping position inwhich they clamp the border of the globe to the rim of the shell;serving to hold the clamping shell I! and its clamping arms 2| in lowerclamped position shown in Fig. 1.

Theshell may be locked in its clamping position shown in Fig. 1, by acircular latch member 3 of sheet metal rotatably mounted on the circularedge portion of its bail guide slot in the way shown in Fig. 4 so as toengage a lock,

projection 4 pressed out from one of the bail wires I3. The latch 3 hasa grip arm 5 forturning it till its slot 6 is brought into alignmentwith the lock projection 4 for releasing the shell This cooperativerelation between the clamping shell I! with its clamping arms 2| and thesocket support with its cam extension 28, makes it possible to utilizethus the weight of the shell clamping rim of the clamping shell, noentanglement or jamming of the clamping elements can take place whileremoving or mounting the globe in its place.

In Fig. 5 is shown another exemplification of the invention. On aceiling canopy 30 of an electric ceiling fixture, suitably secured overthe ceiling outlet, is provided a socket support ti on which is mounteda socket M with an electric bulb l5 as in Fig. 1. A globe clampingmember in the form of a metallic shell 33 is slidably mounted on thesocket support 3| for movement from the downward full line position tothe upward dotted line position 33'. The clamping shell carries on awire spring 25, similar to that of Fig. l, a plurality of wire clampingarms 2i for clamping the globe it between the clamping rim of theclamping shell 33 and the three ends of the clamping arms 2|. As in thearrangement of Fig. l, the socket support 3i is provided with a camextension 28 having a cam edge 2"! which slidably engages the clampingarms 2i so as to force them to the full line clamping position shown inFig. 5 when the clamping shell is in its downward position and torelease the clamping arms to the dotted lineposition and permit easy andquick removal of the globe from the lamp fixture when the clamping shell33 is lifted along its sliding engagement surface with the socketsupport 3i to the dotted line position.

A latch projection l of a latch spring riveted to the socket support 3|at 8 extends through a slot 9 of the shell 33 to automatically lock theshell when it is lowered to its clamping position shown in Fig. 5 and torelease the shell when the latch projection l is pressed inwardly.

Many other modifications of the invention will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art. It is accordingly desired that the appendedclaims be given broad construction commensurate with the scope of theinvention.

I claim: 1

1. In a mounting for electric light fixtures or the like, a forwardlyprojecting support, a hollow clamping member slidably movable on saidsupport between a rearward and a forward position, and having a clampingrim for clamp-ing engagement with the border of a hollow enclosureextending around the space in front of said support, a deformed springmember loop clamped by its outwardly acting spring force against aportion of the inner surface of said clamping member, a plurality ofclamping arms pivotally carried by peripherally spaced portions of saidspring member so as to swing freely in radial directions when theclamping member is in its rearward position, and a cam member extendingfrom said support having an exposed peripheral cam surface arranged toslidably engage and radially press the inner surfaces of said arms so asto swing them outwardly toward said rim during forward sliding motion ofsaid clamping member on said support, said support, said clampingmember, and the associated cam surface and clamp arm elements being soshaped and arranged as to force said arms toward said clamping rim forclamping said enclosure border when said clamping member is in theforward position on said support, and to release said arms from theirclamping position and permit the free removal of said enclosure from itsclamping engagement when said clamping member is slid toward itsrearward position on said support.

2. In a mounting forelectric light fixtures or the like, a downwardlyprojecting support, a hollow clamping member slidably movable on saidsupport between an upward and a downward position, and having a clampingrim for clamping engagement with the border of a hollow enclosureextending around the space in front of said support, a deformed springwire loop clamped by its outwardly acting spring force against a portionof the inner surface of said clamping member and having a plurality ofperipherally spaced inwardly bent portions, a plurality of clamping armspivotally carried by said inwardly bent portions'of said spring memberso as to swing freely in radial directions when the clamping member isin its upward position, and a cam member extending from said supporthaving an exposed peripheral cam surface arranged to slidably engage andradially press the inner surfaces of said arms so as to swing themoutwardly toward said rim during forward sliding motion of said clampingmember on said support, said support, said clamping member, and theassociated cam surface and clamp arm. elements being so shaped andarranged as to force said arms toward said clamping rim for clampingsaid enclosure border when said clamping member is in the downwardposition on said support, and to release said arms from their clampingposition and permit the free removal of said enclosure from its clampingengagement when said clamping member is slid toward its upward positionon said support.

ALEXANDER K. SUT'HERLAND.

